From the New York Times bestselling author of Evvie Drake Starts Over and Flying Solo, a podcast producer agrees to host a new series about modern dating—but will the show jeopardize her chance at finding real love? “Romantic, smart, and exactly the book we all need right now. I adored this.”—Annabel Monaghan, author of Nora Goes Off Script “You’ll sink into this story and never want it to end.”—Elissa Sussman, author of Funny You Should Ask Cecily Foster loves to make podcasts. She fiercely protects her colleagues, dearly adores her friends, and never misses dinner with her sister. But after a disastrous relationship with a colleague who stole her heart and her ideas, she’s put romantic love on hold. When the boss who’s disappointed her again and again finally offers her the chance to host her own show, she wants to be thrilled. But there’s a catch—actually, two catches. First, the show will be about Cecily’s dating life. And second, she has to follow the guidance of influencer and newly minted relationship coach Eliza Cassidy, whose relentlessly upbeat attitude seems ready-made for social media, not real life. Cecily would rather do anything other than put her singledom on display (ugh) or take advice from the internet (UGH). But when her boss hints that doing the show is the only way to protect a friend’s job, she realizes she has no choice. To make matters more complicated, once she’s committed to twenty blind dates of Eliza’s choosing, Cecily finds herself unable to stop thinking about Will, a photographer she helped to rescue a very big and very lovable lost dog. Even though there are sparks between the two, Will’s own path is uncertain, and Eliza’s skeptical comments about Cecily’s decision-making aren’t helping. On the one hand, Will seems great. But on the other hand . . . don’t they all? As Cecily struggles to balance the life she truly desires and the one Eliza wants to create for her, she finds herself at a crossroads. Can Cecily sort through all the advice and find a way to do what she loves without losing herself in the process?
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Pub. date 2/25/25
I have pretty much given up on contemporary romance these days. Most so-called romcoms rely on overused tropes, unbelievable conflicts and/or forced humor. Fortunately, NPR podcaster Linda Holmes' third novel reminds me that there is still hope for the genre.
Cecily Foster is a skilled podcast producer and editor who has long yearned to trade her behind-the-scenes roles for a chance at the microphone. Her boss Theo dangles a double-edged hosting opportunity - a podcast about dating in which Cecily will also be the subject. The hook is that she will be coached by Eliza Cassidy, a successful influencer who has a no-nonsense strategy for finding a compatible life partner. Cecily is reluctant to waste her debut hosting effort on such a shallow topic, but she makes a deal with Theo: she'll go on 20 dates and discuss the experience on-air. In return, her next gig will be as podcast host on a topic of her choice, and she can bring along her favorite colleague as lead producer.
Right now you are probably thinking, oh no, not 300 pages of bad date hijinks! Fortunately, the entire dating process is a montage of brief anecdotes that are dispensed with in one chapter. The problem is that Cecily has already experienced a meet-cute with a great guy. He's a part-time photographer and waiter who crosses Cecily's path when he is chasing down a runaway Great Dane. (Fortunately Cecily wields a Mary Poppins-like purse that contains a jar of peanut butter, stopping the cow-sized dog in his tracks.) Cecily and Will Cecily banter adorably, and Fate keeps putting them in each other's path. But Cecily is committed to her 20 podcast dates, and laid-back Will is not ambitious enough for Cecily even if she were free to explore a possible relationship.
Back After This is wonderfully grounded, in contrast to the silly romcoms that I've encountered lately. Holmes' sense of humor is primarily cerebral not physical, and the characters, especially Cecily's protective but blunt older sister, feel like real people instead of romcom archetypes. Eliza could easily have come off as a shallow snake-oil saleswoman, but she's never villainized or minimized. Cecily herself is inarguably flawed, deluding herself that she knows what's best for the people she loves and is therefore justified in keeping secrets from them.
Holmes adds just enough information about the art of podcasting to keep things interesting without overwhelming readers with every minor detail. The sex scenes convey passion and connection without focusing on the mechanics. The novel's only minor misstep is the stereotyped Evil Ex, although his final comeuppance is admittedly delicious.
I follow the author on social media, but I never felt like Cecily was a thinly disguised version of herself (or at least the self she presents online). Holmes' Pop Culture Happy Hour podcast has a regular feature called “What's making us happy.” Back After This definitely deserves to be on that list.
ARC received from Net Galley and publisher in exchange for review.
